Ukraine’s interim president, Oleksandr Turchynov, says the country is on “full combat alert.”

“The threat of Russia starting a war against mainland Ukraine is real,” Turchynov said at a meeting of government ministers today. Russian troops are currently gathered on Ukraine’s border, and pro-Russian militants have taken over buildings in certain eastern Ukrainian cities.

Turchynov said Ukraine’s police and security forces are “helpless” to subdue unrest in the two eastern regions bordering Russia, and that the government is currently focused on preventing the issues from spreading.

Some police officers are cooperating with pro-Russian militants who have seized government buildings and taken hostages, adding to the government’s weakness.

“I will be frank: Today, security forces are unable to quickly take the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions under control,” Turchynov said.